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5 from 8 votes

Raspberry Cupcakes

Moist, real fruit flavored raspberry cupcakes with fresh raspberry buttercream frosting.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Frosting Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: raspberry cupcakes, raspberry frosting, raspberry puree
Servings: 24 cupckaes
Calories: 253kcal
Author: Erin
Cost: $11

Equipment

  • Oven
  • blender or food processor
  • Fine strainer

Ingredients

Raspberry Puree

  • 3 cups raspberries fresh or frozen, pureed

Raspberry Powder

  • 2 cups freeze dried raspberries pulsed in a blender until powdered

Cupcake Batter

  • ½ cup salted butter (1 stick), lightly melted
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 6 egg whites
  • 2 ½ cups cake flour or all purpose
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup raspberry puree strained of seeds

Raspberry Frosting

  • ½ cup salted butter (1 stick), softened at room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup raspberry puree strained
  • ¼ cup raspberry powder optional, for intense flavor and color
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Raspberry Puree

  • Puree raspberries in food processor or other blender and blend until smooth.
  • Push puree through a fine mesh strainer and mash through (using a pestle or blunt spoon works well here) into a bowl. Discard remaining seeds.

Raspberry Powder

  • Pulse freeze dried raspberries in a blender or food processor until powdered in texture.
  • Just like with fresh raspberry puree, "sift" the powdered, freeze dried raspberries through a fine mesh strainer, over a bowl and discard seeds.

For the Batter

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees; prepare cupcake pan by lining with cupcake papers or grease the wells with butter, shortening or cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, beat together the melted butter, sugar (1 ½ cups) and vanilla (1 tsp) until smooth. Add the 6 egg whites and beat until fully combined.
  • In a separate bowl, stir together 2 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon baking powder.
  • Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
  • Stir in the 1 cup milk and 1 cup raspberry puree until just combined. If using raspberry powder, also add ¼ cup of it at this time as well.
  • Fold in one cup of the raspberry puree.
  • Fill prepared cupcake pan two-thirds of the way full and bake for 18-22 minutes, until top springs back when gently touched, or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
  • Remove cupcakes from pan, and cool completely.

Raspberry Frosting

  • On low speed, beat completely softened (not melted) butter (½ cup), ¼ teaspoon salt, and raspberry puree (¼ cup) plus raspberry powder if you choose to add that (¼ cup, optional).
  • Add powdered sugar (4 cups) 1 cup at a time; beating on low speed until smooth and fluffy. If necessary, add additional powdered sugar to achieve a more sturdy consistency.
  • Use a knife or spatula to frost cool cupcakes, or pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes with desired tip and piping bag.

Notes

  1. For cupcake batter: Don't melt butter until it's piping hot. By microwaving (or on low heat on stove top) until it's almost melted, and allowing the residual heat to melt the rest, you avoid overheating the butter which can "cook" the eggs if added too soon. 
  2. Raspberry seeds don't have to be sifted out, but it will result in a smoother texture. 
  3. Raspberry powder is optional, but is the best way to intensify the raspberry flavoring in both the cupcake batter and frosting, without altering consistency. 
  4. For frosting: Soften butter completely at room temperature so that it can be stirred without lumps.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg